Zutara Drabbles
by ToriMc
Summary: Tales of the liquid fire lovers. One shots and occasional continuations. Updated whenever. Rated M for some chapters but not all.
1. Blue

Summary: Zuko is reminded of all things blue.

"Why are you always so mean to them Zuko?"

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"Yes you do." Katara laughs and pokes him, causing the faintest twitch of a smile. "You're mean to them because you're bored aren't you? That's not very nice."

The prince huffs. "I know I know, but there's really not much to do right now."

"Why don't you go play with the turtle ducks huh? You used to talk about them all the time and now you have a whole pond full. Go feed some or something." Her hands perch on her swaying hips as she walks towards the turtle duck pond, bending the water around her and beckoning him to her. The scarred prince sits on the edge, not quite as keen on getting wet as she is. A turtle duck domes up and nips at his robes, hoping for snacks which he is more than happy to give. Master Katara dances through the bending forms he'd seen so many times in the Air Temple and in battle. She's gorgeous, the water shimming around her.

The water is so blue he could loose himself in it. It's so blue. Katara's element is blue. Katara's eyes are blue. Katara's eyes reflect blue. Katara's eyes reflect streaks of blue. Katara's eyes reflect lightning. Screams and screams and screams erupt from her mouth as she crumples onto the hard ground twitching in pain. Zuko sees red as his sister burns, a charred corpse where she stood a moment before.

Screams from Katara.

Screams from him.

Whimpers from Katara as she strokes his face.

Begging for her to stay with him. He loves her. He tells her over and over again.

She chokes it out.

But she doesn't stay.

Zuko sees blue.

Blue eyes stare back empty at him.

Fire lilies bloom in his room and Katara helps the servants water them. He orders them out as is his custom. "Why are you always so mean to them Zuko?"

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"Yes you do." Katara laughs and pokes him, causing the faintest twitch of a smile. "You're mean to them because you're bored aren't you? That's not very nice."


	2. Modern AU Bake Sale

modern AU before

The biology teacher _really _didn't want to deal with the government and economics teacher/cross country coach/whatever else a student decided to ask him for his help on even if they rarely did so. He was a great guy, but Mr. Zuko King had crossed the line and she wasn't about to let him continue thinking that what he was doing was okay.

"Hey you!" Ms. Katara Hakoda had one finger jammed into his chest before the shocked man could say anything. "I heard that you're part of the bake sale now."

"Uh, that's right." Mr. King stammered, a little confused as to why the biology teacher/bake sale coordinator/most involved teacher _ever_ was using all 5 feet 6 inches of herself in an attempt to intimidate him. Unfortunately for him, the attempt seemed to be working out well.

Katara grabbed his chin and brought him down the inch or two to her level. "Well, Mr. King I want you to know I've heard all about what happened at the last bake sale you were involved in, and at the charity dinner before that, AND the car wash before that. Everything you are involved in burns up around you, sometimes quite literally! I'm not even sure how you managed to catch something on fire at a car wash. I do not need nor want that from the bake sale. So let me tell you something right now, you make one slip up, give me one reason to think you might mess this up and you won't have to worry about any bake sales ever again. I'll make sure you stay away from them, permanently." She stalked off.

Zuko wasn't exactly sure how one would make someone stay away from bake sales permanently, but he sure as hell didn't want to find out. The 'down-to-earth, charitable, happy, loving,' skirt-and-sandal-wearing biology teacher he'd heard so much about was actually terrifying and he had to wonder if perhaps his fellow coworkers with incredibly blind or just plain stupid. Maybe it was just him though considering that Miss Katara was now jabbering happily with the gym teacher Ms. Lee.

The next week consisted of angry glares shot in his direction from the coffee machine when she thought he wasn't looking and muttering about catching parking lots on fire. That wasn't really his fault though. He'd caught one of his worst team cross country girls smoking pot instead of helping wash cars. She tried really hard in class and on the field but never quite managed to do as well as anyone else. He could see the bags under her eyes during tests and watched from the sidelines as she pushed herself past the breaking point while running so rather than bust the kid for pot and get her in trouble, he made her flick it out and go do some extra cars. He didn't know that the sprinklers weren't working behind the dumpster where they were or that the overhang made that grass especially dry. He didn't know that the blunt would land in just the right patch of dry grass and that within seconds in would be a blaze. He had panicked at the fire, memories of a misspent youth and the pain from the scar that marked his face invaded his brain and so in the time that he could have put it out, he froze instead. Afterwards, he took the blame and didn't get his student in trouble even though if nearly cost him his job or at least a hefty lawsuit. Ms. Katara didn't know any of that and just saw him as a potential screw in her plans for the perfect sale.

The morning of, he came with five dozen home made death by chocolate cookies to the practically abandoned school parking lot. One topless blue mustang parked in front of the doors and Katara sat there with her head on the steering wheel trying and failing to stop tears from leaking out the sides of her eyes.

"Hey, are you alright?" That's a stupid question, he mentally scolds. Of course she's not alright.

"Yeah," She smiles weakly, trying to hide her stupid stupid tears. "It looks like everyone else beat you to the punch of making this suck. We're the only two who aren't sick right now, no one else can make it. That means we won't get the money to put in a handicap ramp in front of the school! I let everyone down."

Zuko blew out an explosive breathe, relieved that it was only something like that. From the looks of it, she made enough cookies and brownies to feed an army and so two people could handle the bake sale no problem. "It's not that bad." She scoffs. "So what if a few people didn't show. We've got enough food, there are tables inside and we really don't need any more than two people to run this thing. Signs were put up for it earlier in the week so all we need is to get the stuff out there. It'll be fine. Everything will be okay." He offered his hand and surprisingly she took it.

"I'm sorry for how I treated you," the biology teacher muttered. It was barely audible but he smiles nonetheless.

Within an hour they had the tables set up, the food displayed, and people were beginning to wander in. An hour after that half of his cookies had sold and all of her brownies had. They switched between who was marketing the items and who was accepting money but every now and then when there was a millisecond of peace Katara would find herself staring at the man she'd been so rude to, incredibly thankful that she hadn't scared him off. Three hours later they were all sold out and the two exhausted teachers slumped against each other, grinning. "So, there's a spaghetti dinner at the end of the month. Think you could help out Zuko?"


	3. We Should Have Stayed

Inspired by Game of Thrones and x

. . .

He watched the lightning come. He felt it hit his chest, not his finger. He felt so so much. He felt pain, so much pain all over. He couldn't control his body, the twitching.

Pain everywhere.

Blue arcs of lightning across his skin.

Pain.

Katara's safe. No, she's not. Azula's still out there. He has to save her. His sister could kill her.

No, he can't move. There's so much pain, wracking his insides and burning his organs. He was dying and could feel every iota of it.

Yelling.

.

.

Blue fire.

.

.

.

Silence

.

And then Katara's hands were on him, trying to heal him. The burns were so bad. So much pain and so many burns. He opened his eyes to look at her, the beautiful warrior he had never told that he loved her. She's his everything and she was safe. "Katara," he choked out, his voice harsh, "You remember that cave?"

The tears were already streaming down her face, "Yes."

"We should have stayed in that cave." He smiled for her. He felt his heart continue to beat through a force not his own and he felt some wounds heal, but the damage was done and it was too deep. They should have stayed in that cave.


	4. The Sun and The Moon

"Tell me the story about the sun."

"Which story?"

The little boy didn't even hesitate, "The one about how he loved the moon so much, he died every night to let her breathe."

The Firelord sighed, it was his least favorite of all the stories, but the squirming child loved it unfortunately. Zuko could never turn down the large blue eyes of any of his children. "Many years ago, the sun reigned supreme in the sky. There was no night, but instead an endless day filled with scorching heat and unwavering light. Farmers cursed the sun for it made the rivers dry up and their crops shrivel.

"A woman, the daughter of a boat-builder, watched as her father's business dried up with the seas and watched as the people around her started to wither. What could they possibly do against the almighty sun? It was so strong and so far above them that they couldn't possibly do anything. That woman chose to try though. She walked across the world, looking for a way to speak to the sun. She spoke to nomads in the desert heat, hunters on the plains, tradesmen just trying to feed their families, none had an answer and so she looked for the tallest mountain.

"The sun had noticed her before, but had not paid attention. Once she began the trek up the mountain, he watched. He shot his rays of heat at her, but still she persevered. He burnt her food and evaporated her water, but still the woman continued.

Finally, she reached the top. She reached the top and saw him for the first time without his heavenly glory for the sun had chosen to come down to the earth to see the woman who so badly wanted to speak with him. He was struck dumb by her beauty and then again by her fury and she screamed at him for what he was doing. Didn't he see that he was hurting people? Didn't he care at all about the wellbeing of others?

"The sun did not want her to leave and so he promised her he would help instead if only she would stay a moment. If only she would sit and talk with him, stay with him for a little while, and so she did. He fell madly in love with her, and before long she had with him, but he was fire and she was born of the water. They stayed on that mountaintop for years it seemed. He was kinder to the farmers beneath his eyes but the days were still endless.

The two were happy together, until the woman grew sick. The mountaintop was hurting her with it's heat, the smoke from his fire was slowly suffocating her, and the sun did not know what to do. How could he keep his beloved alive?

He took her with him into the sky. She became the moon - healthy again, but the sky was not big enough for both of them. They bumped into each other, and hurt each other by accident. They wanted to be together, but that seemed not to be. Eventually once they had both been hurt too many times to count, he sank below the horizon. And so, the first night occurred, but the moon was lonely and did not want her lover to disappear forever and so they began the eternal dance, seeing each other but hardly ever touching. Keeping them both safe and healthy but apart."

His son, the young Prince of the Firenation was drifting off to sleep, happy to hear his favorite story again. Zuko extinguished the flames in the nursery and was about to leave when a voice muttered sleepily. "When's mom coming back?"

The Firelord just left, no answer given- tear leaking from his eyes.


	5. Liquid Fire Lives 1

"You do realize how many of those annoying little fur balls roam the palace right?"

"Yes Zuko, and I'm ignoring all of your comments about it. Those cats are all mice catchers and while they didn't say as much, the staff was obviously uncomfortably with me trying to domesticate them." Katara holds up the conversation as she switches between kittens that she cuddles.

"Why not a panther dog though, they're much -" He's cut off as Katara deposits an adorable brown tabby with black paws in his arms. It's big green eyes stare at him then it practically folds itself in half, pawing as Katara strokes it's tummy.

"Ouch!" She swears as the kitten attempts to gnaw on her finger, his sharp baby teeth cutting in, but Katara only smiles more and sweeps him from Zuko's arms, nuzzling her face against it's. "He's so cute, Zuko. You know you want a kitten! You won't even notice that he's there."

He sighs, knowing that once his wife's mind is set, there's no power on earth that can change it, especially when it comes to all things cute, fluffy, or even remotely little. She's tried to 'domesticate' a komodo rhino earlier that year though so maybe his list of her weaknesses needs revised. That sigh was all she needed to hear before she walks over to the store manager. Zuko waits. Katara may be Firelady, but she haggles like her brother and it's best to just stay out of her way.

She comes back with a grin on her face and the kitten swatting at a lock of her hair. "Oh look at his Zuko, he's so incredibly cute, just look!" Her words revert to little coos and noises, her face rubbing against the kitten's.

Her husband just rolls his eyes. "Remember our ground rules for the cat, Katara. It isn't allowed in bed with us. No messes inside. No shredded anything." He proceeds to rattle off a long list of all the 'ground rules' for the cat ending with, "And under no situation is that thing allowed in my study." The Fire Lady just rolls her eyes, still amazed after all of these years at his stubborness. It's truly astounding.

A few days later, after much going on about how the kitten - now creatively named Boots for his black paws - is _hers _and nothing could possibly make him love a 'little clawed tornado' Katara finds her husband musing over the latest trade agreement beside the fire in their joint study. It's mostly their study-away-from-study considering that they both have their own separate offices. Here though they can read in peace without risking advisors and such barging in. It's normal for them to come back here in the evenings to work, the only anomaly is that tonight Boots is curled up in Zuko's lap and his back is being absently stroked. Zuko didn't even notice when the kitten crawled up but Katara smiles, not pointing Boots out, Zuko will figure out that her cat that he wants nothing to do with is happily sleeping in his lap.


	6. Liquid Fire Lives 2

"How about a nice big old fashion fuck you, _my lord_," Katara hisses. "Or, if you're feeling creative, how about you take your dick and see how far up your ass it goes. Anywhere, as long as it's far a-fucking-way from me. I fucking hate you, you big hotheaded, stupid, jerk! And your jerkbending, stupid princey-pants."

Zuko sighs, that was a new one at least. Seriously though, princey-pants? It must be Sokka's influence. "You know, I am Firelord now. You'll have to come up with a different insult love." His hands never leave the circuit they make on her back as another stream of curses and puke flow from Katara.

The first week or two of his wife sprinting to the bathroom to upheave the contents of her stomach had had Zuko in a wild panic. The first time she'd spewed up breakfast, he'd nearly had the kitchen dismantled looking for spoiled or poisoned food, shouting out orders while hovering uselessly over Katara, not even thinking to hold her hair. The second time had been better, but it was more of a shock - she couldn't possibly still be sick, she was a healer along with being a master Waterbender, why was she still sick. At least he held her hair while asking her an endless stream of questions while his face got paler at each wretch.

Zuko didn't realize that his morbidly sick wife wasn't actually sick but pregnant until she casually mentioned the nursery. The shock on his face was echoed by the surprise on hers, afterall she had fretted for days about how to tell him but gave up when the morning sickness started figuring that he'd already realized. Needless to say, he hadn't.

After a month of hurling, the Firelord had gotten used to Katara running for the bathroom and they had fallen into a simple routine of him holding her hair - thankfully breakfast was informal and well before the servants came to help them get ready - and rubbing her back and slow soothing circles.

At the second month though, the swearing began. Katara had a mouth that turned her husband's ears a shocking shade of red from phrases he hadn't even heard sailors use and he had huffed angrily away from the bathroom several times before learning that she wasn't mad at him, just at the constant hunger, discomfort, cravings, and the insane ache in her back that was only made worse by being hunched over the sink.

Now, he's used to the swearing and the angry glares between streams of bile. He also knows that his wife, once she's done cursing him and his entire lineage, country, and even choice in clothing sometimes from one end of the Fire Nation to the other, will turn to him like she is now and bury her head in his shoulder, her strong arms circling around him. Her stomach nudges him slightly, and a smile splits his face. This is his family. Soon there will be a little steam baby sleeping the the nursery and his chest swells with happiness.


	7. Liquid Fire Lives 3

"You can eat or you can starve here Zuko."

"I think I just might die if you try to feed me those stewed whatevers again."

Katara's blue eyes stab into him. "They are stewed sea prunes thank you very much, and they are delicious. At least Kya thinks so." A wicked grin is shot his way as the Fire Lord does something most undignified and shrieks.

"No! There is no way that any daughter of mine could ever possibly like something as atrocious as-" he stops as a little two year old waddles up chewing contentedly on a mushy mess. Her amber eyes and little shock of curly brown hair are nestled deeply in a parka but that doesn't stop the Fire Princess from crawling into her sulking father's lap and offering him a half eaten sea prune, not even a stewed one. Bato had given her a raw sea prune which was now being shoved under Zuko's upturned nose. There's no way to refuse something from a two year old, especially one who has her father wrapped around her fingers as thoroughly as this one does and he chokes it down to Katara's uproarious laughter.


	8. Don't Write Us Off

"Don't go," she mutters to the air, not looking at the man with his back turned. He stiffens. "Don't go."

"This isn't right Katara and you know it."

"I don't care."

"I'm not supposed to love you! I'm supposed to love Mai! I've been supposed to love her since I was a child and you're supposed to love Aang, he's crazy about you!" The Fire Lord turns to her.

"We've made no promises to either of them! You stopped following the path your family set for you a long time ago and I've never loved Aang. We aren't together no matter what people think!" Her fingers grip the sheets where he'd lain only a few minutes ago. "Zuko please!"

"We'll destroy each other. Last night was a mistake, we're fire and water we can't mix."

"You're wrong." Zuko could leave right now. He stands by the door frame and by Agni he could leave right now. He doesn't want to. He wants her to convince him. He wants her to want him to stay because he so desperately wants to. He's afraid though. "You said it yourself, you've seen a fire bender's passion and fury inside of me and I've seen a water bender's calm and love inside of you. Don't write us off before we have the chance to happen. Please."

Her eyes pull him in. He's scared but the fear is better than looking at her wishing. The fear is better than regret. Hope carries him to her side and hope cradles her wet face in his hands. "This will be hard."

"I know."

"If we don't work out it will be hell."

She smiles through the tears. "Well, I guess we'd better work out then." She kisses him, long and deep and full of every good thing, every wish and dream she's every had.

. . .

**And it's almost midnight and I'm usually in bed decently early soooo I can't really see straight. I hope you guys enjoy it.**


End file.
